FINANCE COMMITTEE
MINUTES – MARCH 31, 2003
TOWN HALL – 7:30 P.M.
Members present: Pietal, Heitin, Grasfield, Bergeron, Bluestein, Fixler, Gillen, Goodman, Hearne, Sirkin, (Garza). Members absent: Fixler, Tuck
1. School Superintendent C. Jackson, accompanied by Assistant Superintendent B. Dunham and members of the School Committee, responded to requests for further information on the sixty-one questions that had been submitted by Finance Committee members and had been answered in detail by the School Department.
2. In reply to a question from Bergeron, she explained that the $200,000 contingency was carved out of the school budget rather than given to the schools. She said that the School Committee could allocate it for a different purpose but she did not foresee that happening. In answer to a question about the amount of the contingency, she explained that it was approximately the amount that had been requested from the Reserve Fund for the last few years. Pietal suggested that not needing to use the contingency this year might be more because of better predictions than luck.
3. In answer to questions from W. Heitin, Jackson expounded on the proposed Fiscal 2004 staff additions and cuts. 22.15 full time equivalents are expected to be cut, and 7.8 full time equivalents are expected to be added. She estimated this to amount to about thirty individuals leaving the system. Eleven positions are planned to be eliminated from the High School and five from the Middle School. A guidance counselor is planned to be added to the High School. The need for an additional kindergarten teacher depends on enrollment during the summer. A plumber is to be let go and replaced with a HVAC specialist. In answer to Bluestein, she reported four situations of job sharing but only one health care insurance for every full time job. She said that job cuts amount to less health insurance costs but more
unemployment insurance.
4. In reply to Goodman’s comment about prepaying some of next year’s expenses out of this year’s budget, yet not reducing the Fiscal Year 2004 budget, Jackson explained that the goal from the beginning was to carry over savings. $465,140 not spent this year will be used to protect Fiscal 2004 by prepaying collaborative SPED tuitions and making thirteen instead of twelve modular payments. Dunham said that, without these prepayments, more would be needed for next year. In response to Bergeron’s questioning the legality, she explained that she had checked on the legality and found that certain School Department accounts can be prepaid. She added that other schools have prepaid collaborative tuitions. Bergeron asked if other Town departments could do the same.
5. In reply to Pietal’s questions about compensation increases, Jackson explained that administrators have three-year contracts staggered on different years. She stated that the teachers’ contract is usually finalized before the summer but she did not know when the present one would be finalized. Pietal commented that some increases seemed higher than the Town could support and urged that the out years be kept in mind. School Committee member D. Gilligan said that the School Committee was conscious of the numbers.
6. The Superintendent reported that another 5% cut in state aid would mean a school budget reduction of $375,000.
7. Grasfield commented on the good historical and comparable town information in the packet that the School Department had sent to the Finance Committee and suggested it be posted on the web site. Jackson said that general information was on the web site and other information was on the Department of Revenue and Department of Education sites.
Schools Committee member J. Furr urged that the School Department be given more time to prepare material to answer questions in the future.
8. Southeastern Regional Technical School Superintendent J. Hager, accompanied by Southeastern School Committee Representative M. Kempner and others, explained that the proposed Fiscal 2004 regional school budget was level funded, less $200,000 taken from the Emergency and Deficiency Fund. Overall city and town assessments increased by ½ %. He explained that the school provides its own buses. Previously, transportation was fully paid by the state, then reduced by half, and will be reduced to 35% next year. They lost six people last year and an additional six are taken out of the Fiscal 2004 budget, some of these positions being funded by grants. He reported that they are trying to lower energy costs by conservation measures. In answer to a question from Hearne, he said that the
actual energy costs could be higher than budgeted. In answer to a question from Bergeron, he reported that, after having 200 students fail that MCAS last year, this year only eighteen did not pass.
9. Hager reported that Chapter 70 money now goes to the individual towns rather than directly to the regional schools. He explained that the assessments are based on the valuation of the town and the town’s ability to pay. The current governor has tried to simplify the formula and make it more equitable. Sharon’s assessment has a 241% increase to $196,845. Hager thought that the fact that Sharon’s assessment was approximately in proportion to the number of students from the town attending the school was coincidental.
10. The minutes of March 24 were accepted. Vote: 7-0-2
11. DPW Superintendent E. Hooper explained that the proposed water budget includes consultant fees, future source exploration and infrastructure improvements. Of the infrastructure improvements, he thought pipe replacement on Morse Street was the only proposal that was not time dependent.
12. Hooper recommended an aggressive two-year meter replacement program. He predicted a six to ten year pay back, less than the life of the meters. He reported on the success of a pilot program in Norwood. He described the types of radio-read meters available. Goodman estimated that hiring a full time equivalent meter reader would cost less than the interest earned on the $1,300,000 cost of the meters. Pietal suggested a pilot program with high water use consumers. In response to Sirkin’s question about the life of the old meters, Hooper said that the outside readers, although not failing, could not be replaced. Several Committee members remarked that this was new information. Grasfield remarked that, although he had previously opposed the program, he now saw a pilot program the
best balance. In response to questions about the cost of collection, Executive Secretary B. Puritz reported enhanced efficiencies with the MUNIS system. Goodman expressed a preference for source exploration over meter replacement. Puritz pointed out limitations in what can be done in regard to source exploration.
13. Hooper said that his proposed Fiscal 2004 Water Department budget includes $100,000 for consultant fees, $100,000 for source exploration, $650,000 for the first year of meter replacement, $200,000 for infrastructure, $25,000 for pipe on North Main Street, $32,000 for hydrants and $180,000 for closing the loop between Pine St/Old Post Road and South Walpole Street.
14. Puritz explained that the schools have separate statutory authority to prepay certain accounts, such as SPED tuitions and the modulars. He added that the town side has different criteria.
15. Puritz explained that Article 20 would convert money approved the for High School Expansion Committee to the School Committee.
16. Gillen reported that Health Administrator L. Rosen informed him that the septic borrowing program had changed from its initial funding by a grant to be revolved as loans are paid off. It can no longer be revolved. Moved and Seconded to recommend approval of Article 42, septic systems betterments loan program. Vote: 8-0-1
17. Grasfield reminded that Committee that the Selectmen support Article 34, moratorium on 40B. Hearne thought the article inappropriate for Town Meeting but thought he could have voted either way. Pietal stated that, in the past, the Finance Committee did not recommend approval if an article was irrelevant.
18. Moved and Seconded to change the wording of the recommendation for Article 32, establishing a Priorities Committee by inserting the word “make” before “adjustments” in item g. of the article. Vote: 8-0-1
19. The minutes of March 26 were accepted with the following changes: In #1, change “Chairman” to “Chair; in #14, add “It was decided to schedule a future meeting on the road improvement plan”; in #16, add “ It was decided to ask the Executive Secretary to provide a detailed report on existing vehicle usage, conditions and future planned replacement”; and in #31, change “May” to “March”. Vote: 7-0-2
20. The meeting adjourned at 10:45
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